As China accelerates domestic semiconductor self-sufficiency and backs foundries like SMIC, Taiwan-based United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) faces rising pressure in the mature-node segment. In a bid to stay competitive, UMC is reportedly weighing entry into 6nm production—a move that has drawn scrutiny, given that its most tangible progress at advanced nodes remains a 12nm partnership with Intel, still several years from mass production.